A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable shoe retaining and carrying devices, and more particularly to a combination device which incorporates as one of its elements a shoe horn-type device.
B. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are in the prior art a number of devices, called "shoe trees", by which a pair of shoes can not only be stored in a convenient upright position, but also can be quite easily carried while still mounted to the shoe tree. One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,210,787, Allsop, where there is shown an upright base member mounted to a pedestal, the base member presenting a pair of vertical oppositely positioned platforms to which a pair of shoes are mounted. At each platform, there is a heel retaining member and a toe retaining member, with the toe retaining member being slide-mounted to its platform. A handle is provided at the upper end of the vertical base member so that the shoe tree can be used not only as a portable shoe carrier, but also as a shoe storage device.
A number of other patents show various refinements or modifications of this concept. Some of these other devices can serve as portable shoe carriers, and some are arranged to be mounted to a shoe display structure where a plurality of pairs of shoes can be displayed for merchandising. Typical of the other devices in the prior art are those shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,425,564, Allsop; 3,478,890, Allsop; 3,729,760, Allsop; 3,870,153, Allsop et al; 3,909,718, Allsop et al; 3,958,698, Allsop et al.